Liberty Spike Your Hair
Liberty Spikes is a way of styling your hair into thick, upright spikes like those on the Statue of Liberty's crown. If you are a punk, are making a costume, or just want this cool hairstyle, check this out.
Note: Liberty spikes as explained here are different than a mohawk. Mohawks are shown here.
Steps
- Grow your hair long. It is recommended to have hair at least to your eyes in the front, possibly longer in the back, so that your spikes will be as durable and in-your-face as possible. Longer hair in the back is recommended because the spikes in the sides and back of your head stick out horizontally and won't be as noticeable. Since the intense styling required to keep that fierce hairdo up may stunt its growth, grow your mane out before you do any other steps.
- Get some pictures of liberty spikes online or from others so you can see how it looks when it is done. While you are spiking it, use the pictures as a reference. Look at these closely, they are your best guide as to how it should look. Jorge, from the band The Casualties, has had a great head of liberty spikes at least once. So has Benji Madden from Good Charlotte, though. You may want to do a Google image search on one of them or on "liberty spikes", "liberty spiked hair", etc.
- Obtain a strong product. Most commercially available hair styling products don't have enough strength to hold your hair in liberty spikes for any reasonable amount of time. Other "products", namely things like Knox brand gelatin, school glue (preferably the clear kind) and supposedly egg whites are much better for keeping hair up. The thing with Knox gelatin is that you have to mix it perfectly or chunks of it will be left behind.
- Comb your hair. Free it from any tangles and crap. Make sure you have a clean head because oily hair doesn't seem to cooperate as well.
- Straighten! You don't have to, but it sure makes it a lot easier if you do.
- Section off your hair into spikes with ponytail holders or hair clips. Before there is any adhesive in your hair, you can rearrange or resize them all you want. Make them so they are all over your head, are of even size, and are thick enough to stay standing. Proportion is key.
- Tease Your Hair. Undo one rubber band and pull your hair hard enough to wear your scalp raises BARELY with it. Don't make it hurt though. Okay yeah well, get a comb and at the base of the about to be spike comb it downwards and then upwards (for those that don't know how to tease hair). Teasing helps it stay up. You'll know when you're done because when you let go of your hair, the teased section should stick up. The teasing creates a strong base. Do not tease anymore than an inch of your spike.
- Having a friend or family member help you, apply chosen product thickly to the first spike. Start at the bottom, closest to your scalp, and work your way up. Pay special attention to the base, as it is what keeps the spike standing, but make sure to get the whole spike very well.
- Blow dry the spike you just added product to until tacky. It will most likely not be anywhere near completely dry, but should stay up on its own now.
- Repeat steps five and six for all the spikes you are planning to make. Once again, they should be all over your head, long, and thick.
- Check to make sure the tips are pointy. If they aren't (they don't look like they could stab someone) put a little water on the top and apply more product, twisting just enough to make the hairs come together.
- After all the spikes are up, blow dry your hair even more. Even though the instructions may say against it, the blow dryer should be within a few inches or almost touching your hair. If you use Knox gelatin as a product, use the "cool" setting so it will strengthen as quickly as possible.
Tips
- Harder equals better, to put it bluntly. It may require a lot of product and time, but trust me, it's worth it. They look much better and stay up for longer.
- Rave #4 and Got2b Glued Blasting Freeze Spray are supposedly high quality hair sprays.
- Don't put your liberty spikes up every day. It takes a surprisingly big chunk of time to do correctly until you get used to the process. If you are grossed out by not showering, just sleep on your face and keep your head out of the water in the shower.
- Wetter products, like gel (not recommended) or egg whites, will also make your hair flop if you apply too much. You will probably need to apply this much product, so have a friend ready with more product, a blow dryer, even more product, and the blow dryer again.
- You may want to get a waterproof chair for the shower. These spikes take a very long time to get out.
- Wear a button down shirt. Liberty spikes are "long, thick, upright spikes" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_spikes ) and you don't want to have to stretch your shirts over your hair (painfully) every day.
- Make your spikes stick straight up and out from your head at all angles. They look many times more impressive.
- Liberty Spikes get harder to put up and keep solid the longer they get. Don't have them be more than you can handle.
- Make sure to get the whole spike covered well with product.
- Proportionate spikes stay up better than other ones. For example, if you have an eight inch spike, the base should be around {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} in diameter. If it is too thin, it will be weak and harder to stay up, even though it will look good. A spike that is too thick will take up too much of your hair, and will be hard to keep standing.
- Recruit a friend or family member you trust to help you. Yes, this is a paraphrase of step eight, but this hairdo is nearly impossible without help.
- After styling and allowing it to dry, (usually between thirty minutes and two hours) your hair should feel bulletproof or at least very hard. If it feels at all soft, normal, flexible in any way, or like you just gelled and styled it normally, you did it wrong. Take a shower, washing out the pathetic "spikes" you just made and start from step four.
Warnings
- This type of spikes takes a very long time to air dry and will most likely flop without the use of a hair dryer.
- Hairspray is flammable. Do not smoke or be near open flame during or shortly after putting up your spikes.
- You may get a lot of odd looks from random people you see.
- Liberty Spikes are very hard to get out in the shower. Do not use these methods for a one-day procedure.
- Knox gelatin dries quickly and does not loosen its hold. Work fast, and only apply it one spike at a time.
- This hairstyle is not for the faint of heart.
- If you choose to use hairspray at all, do not do it in an enclosed space because of the fumes.
- Exercise caution while using a blow dryer to avoid fire or shock.
- With your hair so hard, and not showering it out every night, you will need to find a sleeping arrangement that doesn't interfere with the 'do.
- If you live with your parents, discuss any major hair changes with them.
Things You'll Need
- A Product (see step 3)
- Blow Dryer
- Long-ish hair
- Hairspray (optional)
Related Articles
Sources and Citations
- http://www.communities.ninemsn.com.au/BenjiMaddensBaby/howtospikeurhair.msnw Here is some information on liberty spikes.
